“It gives the school a black eye, doesn’t it?”

“That’s it.  I know Captain Putnam feels terrible about it, too.”

“Do you suspect any of the hired help?”

“I don’t know what to think.”

The weather grew colder rapidly, and one morning the cadets arose to find the ground covered with snow to a depth of several inches.

“Hurrah!” shouted Fred.  “See the snow!  Doesn’t it look inviting?”

“Want a roll in it, Fred?” questioned Bart Field.

“Not exactly.  I was thinking of a snowball fight.”

“That’s the talk!  Let us get up a fight after school hours!” cried Bart Conners.

Pepper was at the window.  Slyly he raised the sash and scooped up a big handful of snow from the broad ledge outside.  Andy was nearby, bending over, lacing up his shoe.

“Welcome to the snow!” cried The Imp, gaily, and let a portion of the frozen mass slip down the acrobatic youth’s collar.

“Wow!” snorted Andy, straightening up with a jerk.  “Hi, you, what do you take me for, an ice-box?” And he commenced to squirm as the cold snow ran down his backbone.  Then he made a dive for Pepper and chased The Imp around the dormitory.  Over two of the beds they flew, and then brought up in a corner with a crash.

“Have mercy on the furniture!” cried Joe Nelson.

“Don’t knock over the table!” added Stuffer.

“Give me that snow!” cried Andy, and managed to get a small portion from Pepper.  “How do you like that?” And he plastered the snow in The Imp’s left ear.

“Hurrah!  Snow from Snow!” cried Jack.

“’Twill warm Pepper’s blood, so it will!” was Emerald Hogan’s comment.

More snow had been scooped from the window-sill by Fred and Joe, and soon a battle-royal was in progress in the dormitory.  But it came to an abrupt end when Dave Kearney appeared.

“Stop it!” cried the young sergeant.  “Crabtree is coming!”

“All over!” whispered Jack.  “All as orderly as lambs!” And at once every cadet settled down and started in an orderly fashion to finish his morning toilet.

“What was the noise in here?” demanded Josiah Crabtree, as he threw open the door and strode into the dormitory.

He glared around savagely, but nobody answered him.

“I demand to know what was going on here!” he continued.

“Mr. Crabtree, did you speak to me?” asked Pepper, meekly.

“I spoke to you all!” thundered the teacher.  “What were you doing in here?”

“I am dressing, Mr. Crabtree,” answered Andy.

“I am dressing, Mr. Crabtree,” came from Jack.

“I am dressing, too,” put in Fred.

“And so was I dressing,” said Stuffer, with a smile.

“And I was dressing,” supplemented Pepper.  “Come to think of it, I rather fancy we were all dressing.  You see, we always do dress when we get up in the morning, Mr. Crabtree,” he added with a simple smile.